Wallace Hall to UT Chairman Foster: I won’t resign

University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall won’t resign, the embattled Rick Perry appointee confirmed Monday just ahead of a House committee meeting looking into a possible impeachment recommendation.

“UT System Regent Wallace Hall, Jr. sent a letter to Chairman Paul Foster today,” Hall attorney Allan Van Fleet said in an email Monday. “Regent Hall informed Chairman Foster that he will not resign.”

Foster requested the resignation during a public meeting of the full board Thursday, noting the decision would be the “selfless step” for Hall to take. Hall did not respond that day to Foster’s call.

The House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations will convene Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the drafting of specific articles of impeachment for Hall, who some say bullied university officials, made burdensome public records requests and shared confidential student information for the purpose of ousting UT-Austin President Bill Powers. Hall said he is attempting to unearth wrongdoing at the system’s flagship university. In a 7-1 vote on May 12, the House panel founds grounds for Hall’s impeachment exist.

In what was largely a rehash of previous statements, Hall said Monday, “Which approach benefits the UT System, asking the Board of Regents to address wrongdoing, or asking regents who uncover the wrongdoing to resign? Will the public ever know the truth about problems in our institutions if legislators are allowed to impeach Board members who reveal them?”